Spare tire cover



Nov. 26, 1935. G. A. LYON SPARE TIRE covER Filed Aug. 19, 1953 Patented Nov. 26, 1935 PATENT oFFlcE v2,021,892 Y SPARE TIRE oovEn z George Albert Lyon, Detroit, Mich., assi'gnor to Lyon Incorporated, DetroiI'gMich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 19, 1933, Serial No. 685,834

1 claim.

This invention relates to spare tire and wheel covers and more particularly to a spare vtire cover especially adapted for use with a tire mounted on a wheel having a centrally disposed hub on which is mounted the usual hub cap.

An object of this invention is to provide a unitary cover of simple construction and adapted to be applied with ease to the tire and thereafter yieldably embrace the tire to insure proper cooperation between the cover and the tire.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cover for a spare tire and wheel which is adapted to be centrally supported by the wheel and to yieldably embrace the rear of the tire. f

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there is provided a spare tire and wheel cover including a disc like side portionr for disposition over an outer side of the tire and having a central part formed to be supported by the hub of the spare wheel and which side portion has associated with it a tread covering portion which is provided to the rear of the median plane of the tire with a circumferentially eX- tending and inwardly projecting serrated part for yieldably engaging the rear of the tire.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the serrated part is made in the form of a plurality of inwardly projecting fingers, the outer end of veach of which is slightly turned out- Wardly and which fingers are adapted to be cammed outwardly during the act of mounting the cover on the tire and to thereafter embrace the rear of the tire by reason of the inherent resiliency of the fingers.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a single embodiment thereof, and in which Figure l is a side View of a cover of my invention showing it applied tol a spare tire and wheel.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional View taken on substantially the line II-II of Figure l looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 2 illustrating the serrated rear edge of the tread covering portion of the cover.

The reference character Iii designates generally a spare tire applied to a spare wheel II including a centrally disposed hub I2. The spare wheel hub I2 has a centrally disposed opening I3 formed to accommodate the usual hub cap I4 which may be of any suitable conventional conguration. This spare wheel and tire is of a conventional construction and is adapted to be mounted in any of the conventional ways upon an automotive vehicle. 5

My present invention is concerned with a tire cover for a spare wheel installation such as that shown in Figure 2. The cover embodies a circular disc like side portion I5 for disposition over an outer side of the spare tire I0 and an integral 10 circular tread covering portion I6. Both of portions I5 and I6 are of curved transverse crosssection so as to conform with the contour of the spare tire I0.

The side disc I5'includes an outwardly bowed 15 central part II having a centrally disposed opening I8 of a size substantially commensurate with that of the opening I3 so as to permit of the mounting of the conventional hub cap I4 in the wheel hub I2. It will also be noted from Fig- 20 ure 2 that the central part I1 of the disc like portion I5 extends underneath the outer part of the hub cap I4 so as to be clamped against the wheel hub I2 by the hub cap I4. This construction is advantageous inasmuch as it enables the Z5 hub cap I4 to b'e utilized in centering the tire cover and in supporting the tire cover at the center of the spare wheel installation.

The tread covering portion I6 of the tire cover is provided with a circumferentially extending 30 and inwardly projecting serrated rear edge 2U. The diameter of this rear 20 is less than that of the outermost periphery of the tread of the tire I0 so that theilngers 2I comprising the serrated edge 2l! must be deflected outwardly as the tire 35 cover is shoved into proper tire protecting4 position on the tire I0. Thereafter, these fingers 2| due to their inherent resiliency contract into contact with the tire to the rear of the median plane of the me. it should be noted that each of the 40 lingers 2I is curved inwardly and then outwardly so that the outermost edge of each of these fingers will not bite into the tread of the tire as the serratedV edge 20 is passed over the tread of the tire. 45

In order that these fingers 2 I may be inherently resilient so as to provide for the above described action, it is of course necessary that they be made of some resilient material such for example as sheet metal. Accordingly, the tire coverrwhich 50 I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing may be made of any suitable sheet material which has the requisite resiliency to enable the fingers ZI to be inherently contracted into cover retaining cooperation with the rear of the spare tire II). 55V

The cover, however, is preferably made from sheet steel due to the resiliency of such material and the fact that such material is sufficiently rigid to cause the cover made therefrom to maintain a predetermined shape.

Now I desire it understood that although I have illustrated and described in detail the preferred embodiment of this invention, the invention is not to be thus limited but only insofar as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

As an article of manufacture a spare tire and Wheel cover including a disc like side portion for disposition over an outer side of the tire and having its central part formed to be supported by the hub of the spare Wheel and an arcuate tread covering portion of curved transverse crosssection, and having its rear edge provided with a circumferentialiy extending and inwardly projecting serrated part for yieldably engaging the rear of the tire, said serrated part providing the cover with a plurality of resilient iingers out- Wardly turned at their ends adapted to yield outwardly as the cover is shoved into proper tire protecting position on the tire.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON. 

